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Survivor!
Students play a game in physical education class to examine how a deer survives. Using nature as a guide, they discover how it is constantly changing due to weather, food, water, pollution and predators. They discuss the characteristics...
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Pirate Map
Students write directions explaining how to get from one location to another by using a map of their town and use simple maps to identify and locate places.
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Florida Timeline:
Students learn about important events in Florida history by making a timeline of the 10 most important events.
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Illinois Biodiversity
Students examine the amount of biodiversity in the state of Illinois. They practice using new vocabulary and listening to stories about animals. After given time to reflect, they write their own haiku. They work together to create a...
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Computers At Work
Students develop simulated businesses, and identify the ways in which their businesses might use computers. They write job descriptions and help wanted ads for the employees who would be responsible for using computers in their businesses.
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We the People: An American Government Project
Young scholars identify key representatives in the legislative and executive branches of the Federal and State governments
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Convey Ideas in Writing
Write an unsent letter about a consumer scam, paying attention to the writing conventions of punctuation and spelling. This lesson could be adapted to fit a variety of social issues in which letter writing is appropriate. 4
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Nature Rules In The Great Flood of 1993
Students examine the event of the Great Flood of 1993. Using the internet, they research the economic, social and ecological changes that impacted the area. They conduct a town meeting in which they debate the positives and negatives of...
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Allusions, Slang, and Literary Analogies
Partners identify literary allusions using a provided worksheet and use this knowledge to examine the allusions in Toni Cade Bambara's "Raymond's Run." The class also examines the impact of allusions and slang on the tone of the story.
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How to Write A+ Essays!
This lesson, which promises to improve the essays of your middle schoolers, contains a list of characteristics an essay should include. It breaks it down into the introduction, thesis statement, body, etc. There's also a list of things...
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum
Harry S. Truman And Korea
Engage the class in researching oral histories and historical revision, in order to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the sacrifices made by Americans in the Korean War. The inquiry process is scheduled to take one week....
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Retelling the Tiny Seed
Here is a very age appropriate idea that can be stretched, modified, or used as is. Learners review plant parts, discuss pollination, read the story The Tiny Seed, and write a retell sentence. Their sentences describe to way a seed...
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The Language Bank
Students work on the Internet to listen, read, and practice writing in a foreign language. They focus on the use of idiom and humor in other languages.
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The Hot Dog Stand
Students run a computer simulation. They collect data as they work and use the data to create an annual report for their business. Several different simulations could be used for this project. It is desirable for students to do this...
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Honoring Neighborhood Heroes
Read biographies and use the internet to research stories of courage.Young writers compare and contrast characteristics that societies value. They write reports about their family and community's heroes.
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Classic Columns
Sixth graders present a PowerPoint presentation on Greek columns. They realize that Greek culture is centered around religion. Students create a model of one of the columns. Also they find examples of Greek architecture in major Greek...
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Easy Street
Young scholars work together to complete a simulation on drought days. As a class, they discuss their results and compare water usage of the past to current numbers. After reading short excerpts, they answer discussion questions and...
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Great Lakes Food Web
Students identify species and components of a Great Lakes food web. Using note cards, they place themselves in the correct order of the food chain based on the species present. They discuss what they believe happens to various species...
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River Research
Young scholars use the internet to research the streams and rivers found in Illinois. Using the information, they identify and describe the rivers and streams along with the physical characteristics of a river ecosystem. They share what...
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Taking Action
Learners use the net they make to dip macroinvertebrates at or below the surface. The flat side of the net allows pressure on the substrate so that organisms do not escape under the net. Two students hold onto the handles and submerge...
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Prairie Plants Lab
Learners recognize and identify 3 grasses and 9 common forbs of the fermilab prairie and which were common in IL, identify using resources and write 3 critical attributes of each plant.
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Boating Safety
Young scholars are introduced to the safety procedures to follow while boating. After taking a quiz, they complete open-ended questions about boating accidents in Illinois. They discuss as a class how those accidents could have been...
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Poetry and Nature
Students observe an object in nature and record them. In groups, they create a group poem about the same object. They create their own poem based on another object using other their senses to help them. They share their poems with the...
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Fill The Bill
Students identify and describe five different types of beaks. Using that information, they explain how each of them is adapted to feed on different foods. In groups, they travel around the room to various stations in order to practice...